Ship of Heroes will launch on August 18th, 2025 on Steam. Ship of Heroes is a sci-fi superhero MMORPG for PC where advanced technology and magic interact. It will be available on Steam.
We've come a long way, starting as a small indie team with big dreams. Our vision was to create a new superhero MMORPG, but in a style closer to the golden age of MMOs. One that allows a large numbers of highly customized characters to be on the screen at the same time for raids, costume contests, etc…. And our community wanted a new story with superheroes in an action-packed sci-fi setting. Most of all, people wanted a friendly game where it'd be safe to join teams of total strangers, because they're generally positive and helpful.
To accomplish these goals, we chose the Unreal 4 engine, and we made countless decisions about graphical quality, textures, animations and FX, powers, city design, advanced character customization, and many other things. We wanted the game to be beautiful (spoiler – it is) even without movie quality realism. And we wanted a fresh story and setting that explores new ideas, literally and philosophically far away from the Earth we all know. Finally, we concluded that adding chat moderation would suppress trollish behavior, but might also reduce the number of players willing to pay for a new game. So be it. We would rather have a smaller but nicer community.
While most of the game can be played solo[missions or combat link], Ship of Heroes enables teams of up to 10 players and raids with league sizes as low as 8, with a current max of 50 - and that number could go higher! This means if you are one of the players who asked for a 10 man raid, not only do we give it to you, but most of the regular content can be converted into 10 man raids by recruiting friends. You'll face bigger and tougher enemy groups, but the rewards will increase as well.
We also learned that players are deservedly angry and suspicious of AAA monetization methods. So, we have a simple model: pay for the download once, and pay the monthly subscription. That’s it. There is no cash shop, no pay-to-win stat boosters, and no banned-in-the-EU RNG lootboxes. Not now, and not waiting to be turned on a month after launch. We have big plans for expansions, which will all be offered at no extra charge for at least the next two years. And it's hard to predict the distant future, but we fully expect to maintain our revenue model indefinitely.
Ship of Heroes is a very beautiful game. The color palette, art direction, and design all speak to a future that is advancing and improving, and hint at the terrible dangers we face while exploring the vast unknown. But the game is a game, not an interactive movie. Allowing a large number of distinct characters to interact on-screen in interesting ways, all controlled by players online, is more important than having a million calculations for each hair. Better still, you have immense freedom to set your own appearance, costume, and even backstory.
SoH delivers a lot of interesting things to do as you explore the game but also respects the player’s time. There is no prescribed content you must get through to reach an exciting end game. Your progression is uniquely yours. In Ship of Heroes, your fun IS the end game.
We’re launching the core of a quality game, so we can interact with our players and expand what's already built in ways that you would like to see. It is a big game with a big story that you can play mostly solo, or on small teams, or in a supergroup, or by joining big leagues. It will launch as a PVE game, and we plan to expand on that base enormously, from entire new worlds to an advanced crafting system. It is just the beginning.
Sometime between now and launch, we'll conduct Beta playtests through Steam. Donors who want to participate will receive priority in getting access. Donors at the Deep Pockets level and above will receive first priority in all beta playtests. In the last month before launch, donors at the Beta Testers level and above will receive priority. Donations are still accepted if you want to donate or add to prior donations. To the best of our ability, we will keep or exceed our early promises to our donors. Every donor will be contacted by email in the near future to confirm their donations and rewards, which can also be viewed on the Donation Rewards page.
Sometime before launch, we will publish a free demo on Steam. Watch for the announcement or signup to be notified. We hope you and your friends come and give it a try.
We’ve been looking forward to launch day for a long time, and we are happy to deliver on it.
This game is the creation of a passionate group of indies, dreamers, and veteran developers. It mixes futuristic soft sci-fi and magic with tales of noble heroes overcoming dangerous villains. Heroes like you.
We hope you like it.